Coping with unintended pregnancies: Narratives from adolescents in Nairobi's slums

Abstract

In Kenya young people aged 10-24 years constitute a considerable proportion of urban slum residents (approximately 30% of the total population). Research shows that people living in slums are at greater risk for early childbearing and other adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes compared with their non-slums counterparts. Slum-based adolescents engage in sexual activity earlier and are more likely to report transactional sex unprotected sex and multiple sexual partnerships compared with adolescents living in non-slum areas. While previous research has highlighted the high vulnerability of young slum residents to unintended pregnancies and associated poor health and socioeconomic outcomes their strategies and practices for managing the consequences of unintended pregnancy have received little attention. The current formative study addresses this evidence gap and focuses on the management of unintended pregnancy among adolescents living in resource poor settings. The study aimed to answer the following questions: What are the unintended pregnancy-related experiences of adolescents in urban poor communities in Kenya? Secondly how do these adolescents manage the consequences of unintended pregnancy? The experience of an unintended pregnancy leads to two primary responses; carrying the pregnancy to term or termination of the pregnancy. The goal of the current formative study is to understand how young people make decisions and deal with the consequences of an unintended pregnancy. Study findings are expected to inform the design and delivery of SRH intervention programs to meet the unique needs of adolescents living in resource poor urban settings.